Merchandise container



Jan. 28, 1930. A. F. cA'LLlsoN f Y 1,744,824

nancmmms; con'rnrmn l Filed Nov. 11, 1925 n 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Mw@ l @idk-. A'

Jah. 28,1930. l A. F. cALLlsoN 1,744,824

MERCHANDISE CONTAINER i Filed Nov. 11. 1925 2 sheets-snee: 2

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Patented Jan. 2s, 1930 PATENT oFFlcE .ABNEB l'. CALLISON, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y.

IEBCHANDISE CONTAHIEB Application mea november 11, 192s. serial n. 68,211.

This invention relates in general to a system of freight or mailtransportation involving the use of merchandise containers ofrelatively large size. Formerly it was necessary 5 in the transportation of freight between two points o load the freight into a motor truck, unload it therefrom on to a freight terminal platform and reload the freight into a railroad car or into any other type of conveyance and reverse the process on the arrival ofthe conveyance at its destination, the procedure in each instance involving the holding of the'truck or conveyance for a material length of time while the loading or unloading took place.

. One object of the resent invention is to provide a container or merchandise or the like which will eliminate all unnecessary handling of the freight or delay in the operation of conveyances. The container can be loaded at the plant, for instance, during the absence of the truck, loaded thereon when convenient and, on arrival at the freight yterminal, the transfer. of the container from truck to other conveyance or'ram can be accomplished quickly and easily y ramp track or crane. The invention is not to -be deemed limited to use with a highway, railway or waterway conveyance but it is within the contemplation of the present invention to provide a container which is equally applicable to transportation by aircraft, either of the heavier than air type or the lighter than air type. In connection with this latter use the invention may be found advantageous in the transportation of'fmail or express matter. In this instance the container may be adapted for access during transportation whereby sacks or packages may be added to or removed therefrom enroute. One aspect of the invention contemplates the rovision of a container formedof metal o great strength commensurate with requisite yightness in weight which mayl be readily handled'and afford ample facility for access therewithin. To this size to be carried by the larger sizes of trucks, such as to constitute a load for a seven and one-half ton truck, while three such containers constitute a load for a forty foot flat car.

end the container may-Abc constructed of, a.

Obviously for the convenience of users requiring a smaller container they may be made, for instance, in half sizes. According to the preferred embodiment of the invention the container is provided with doors at eitherl end. A pair of doors may be formed at one end which are hinged adjacent the sides of the containers and open outwardly for facility in Y. the removal of the contents. The means of access at the other end of the container may 6o be similar or may be of the sliding type so that access may be had to the interior of the container during transportation upon a truck or in an aeroplane. To facilitate the transfer of the container, lifting bails may be pro- 65 vided', suitably re-enforced, whereby a distribution of the weight of the container is had. By means of the bails the container may be readily shifted by an overhead crane or the like. The container may also be provided with wheels upon which it may travel over ramps, for instance, as when being transferred from one carrier to another.

One use to which the container is particularly applicable is the transportation of mail or express matter. Forinstance, such a container loaded .upon a truck may be moved from pointto point while packages are being collected or delivered. In this instance, the end of the'container formed with the sliding 80 door may be disposed adjacent the driver of the vehicle and ready access may be had to the interior of the container from the drivers seat whereby additional packages may be placed therein or individual pieces of mail sorted while the means of access to the container is always within view of the operator of the vehicle. The container may be transported to a flying field, for instance, and there loaded into an aeroplane or airship for transportation to a distant point where it may be again loaded upon a truck for distribution.

Other objects and advantages of the invention and the means for their attainment will be apparent from the following detailed description of the invention taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation and partly in section showing the container according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a' view in end elevation showing the container and one type of door and lockingrmeans therefor.

igure 3 is a view in end elevation showing the ,container and the means for gainin access to the interior involv' a sliding oor. Figure 4 is a entary etail view, part ly in section, showing various features o construction of the container taken in the plane lo indicated b -the line 4-4 in Figure 1 and looking in t e direction of the arrows. I

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view taken in the plane indicated by the line 5-5 in Figureand in the direction of the arrows and illudrating the construction of the sliding door. Figure 6 is a detail sectional view on an scale showing one of the'wheels or rollers upon which the container ma travel, taleen inthe plane indicated by the line 6-6 in Figure 1 and lookingin the direction of the arrows. f

Containers have heretofore been proposed which were ca ble of transfer between motor trucks and rai wa vatcars, for instance, but it is the object of resent invention to proe vide a container em ying certain advanfeatures of constructon'which result v inextreme tnewithminimumweightand which is particularly adapted to the purpose in hand. The container, indicated iis a whole at a in Figure 1, ma be of a high grade aluminum alloy whic with great stren h. The oora' is supported upon a plurali of transversely extending I-beams a* the en of which are closed'by a face plate a' secured as by the angles a* to the I-beams a. The side walls are formed of sheets of metal a* secured at their lower ends between opposed angle irons a runni tudinall of the container ad'accnt' e ends of the I- alas indicated in Figure 2 and securedsrigidly, respectively, either byv weldingorri ,tothelloorandI-beamsandto the sideheiliiige a'rtherebetween. Securing the adjacent sheets a of the side walls to one another are vertically i re-enforcing elements a' oset at theirower end over the outer angle iron a and riveted or welded to adjacent plates a. Dietension members a are preferably formed with anv angular portion as at -a extending outwardl considerablybeyondtheplaneofthesi ewallsto serve not only as strengthening. elements for thewallsbutalsoasbuersorguardstopw' tect, in a measure, the relatively thinside platea Intheintereat of light-.nes of constmction the'proximate edges-of adjacent platesa'arespacedfromoneanotherandan innerverticallyextending aisada toclosethespacetherebetween. Theroo' ofthecontainerisformedwitha alightcurvaturetodiedrainandissn uponcompressionmembersshownasl u n.: a" disposed witlitheir web portions parallel with the door of the container and suitably combines lightness 'extend downw longisecured by angle pieces or brackets au to the plates a. To afford a curvature to the roof there are secured to opposed flanges of the I-beams a angles pieces an shaped to provide the necessary curvature o the roof. Upon the horizontal arms of the angle pieces are carried tlie top plates a forming the roof. These lat are also formed lof metal and extend ownwardly over the plates a as indicated at a to be secured as by welding or riveting. The proximate edges of the top plates al? terminate substantial y-evenly with the vertical edges of the angle irons anl and overl ing the proximate edges is a plate a secured as by rivets or welding to the angle pieces a, Suitable sealin means such as tarred felt or thelike may vinte between the plates a" and a and the rivets may pa through tlie plates a" and a" and a to secure all three together. To facilitate the lifting of the container, bails a may be provided which are secured by means of stra s a" extending throughout the height of t e container in a slanting direction to distribute the stresses. s

Doors are rovided at both ends of the contaiiier to faci 'tate acces therein.- At one end (Figure 2) a pair of doors b, b open outwardly and are supported as by the hinges wall-portions b', suitably reenforced by uprights b* which ma be angle pieces riveted to the end walls o the container. Cornerpiec b are also provided outwardly of the to serve as re-enforcements which are lit at their lower ends to y over the angle a. The angle bar'a nd the ends 'ofthe container to act as bu ers as when two or more containers are pushed together.

Suitable locking means are provided for preferred t vertically extending bolts b", b are carried with the overlappingodoor i and adapted .to

rmedin the top and Hooi-,respectivel Thebollsbuareconnected to the mds o a pivoted lever b adapted tobe rotated about its fulcrum by means'of asp b to withdraw or insert the bolts the When the bolts are in th respect to the door the se; s surfe er oor. or

ock or the like.

ese

vided for Ahovethedoorateitherendofthecontainer theremaybedispodwhatmaybetermed l a gutter d entrap rain flowing olf the roof I across the doorway.

and prevent it :from flowing downwardly To facilitate transfer of the container over a ramp o r other support, for instance, wheels or rollers may be provided upon which it can travel. One type of wheel applicable to the resent invention is illustrated in Figure 6.

ecured to the underside of the floor a is a bearing box e of substantially inverted U- shape in cross section adapted to be secured to the floor z by bolts e passing through the carrier e, the floor a and angle bars a". i The carrier e may also be provided with extended portions e2 adapted to engage adjacent I- beams a2, in the interest of adequateness of support for the containers. Within each bearing e there is disposed a wheel e3, flanged,

if desired, as at et, to facilitate transportation over ramps and mounted by means, say of roller bearings e5 upon an axle e'carried in the opposed vertical walls of the carrier e. Axle e may be formed at one end with a flange e7 for engagement with the external face of the carrier e, a suitable aperture a being provided in the face plate aa for that purpose and the axle may be threaded at its other end for engagement by a nut e? which may be secured against rotation by a stop e engaging the carrier e. In the interest of compactness a recess e may be formed in the top or transverse surface of the container e for the reception of the flange e4. A suitable grease channel e may be formed in the axle e to conduct grease or oil from the grease cup e12 to the roller bearings e5. In the illustrated embodiment there are four such wheels disposed beneath the container two upon each s1de but it will be obvious that the container may be mounted upon any desired number of wheels as necessitated by the weight and size of the container.

Locking means are provided upon the truck, flat car or the li e for securing the container thereupon. To permit a coupler operating between, say, flat cars and container to slide beneath I-beams a2, plates may be secured beneath the floor thereof. In the illustrated embodiment one such plate f is illustrated which is centrally disposed beneath the I-beams and extends longitudinally for the length of the container.

It will thus be seen that a container has been provided for merchandise, mail, etc.,

which eliminates, by its use, all unnecessary handling of mail to be transferred. The container is applicable, as a transporting medium in connection with rail or road vehicles, boats and airships or planes. Access is all'orded Within the interior of the container during transfer and facilities are also provided in connection with its transfer by airship to transfer the contents between airships in y aight.

e5 Various Amodifications may be made inthe particular configuration of the lcontainer and arrangement of the means of access therein as well as the supporting means for the container within aircraft and no limitation is intended by the foregoing description or illustration except as indicated in the accompanying claims.

yWhat I claim is:

l. In a merchandise container, in combination, bottom framemembers, a floor supported thereon, opposed side walls carried with thefloor, tension members carried with each of the opposed side walls and secured to the frame members, top compression members 'extending between opposed tension members and supported on the opposed side walls, a vroof and end Walls carried with the compression and frame members, and means to lift the container disposed adjacent the ends of the top compression members, whereby horizontal components of the lifting strains will be removed from the side walls, end'walls and roof.

2. In a merchandise container, in combination, frame members, a floor supported thereon, side walls carried with the floor, tension members carried with the side walls and secured to the frame members, said side walls comprising sheet metal sections connected together by overlapping vertically extending reenforcing members, top transverse compression members disposed between the ends of said reenforcing members, brackets securing the compression members to'the side walls, a sectional roof and end walls carried .with the compression and frame members,

3. In a merchandise container, in combination, oppositely disposed longitudinally extending angle irons disposed upon either side of said container, transverse wei ht supporting members secured to the longitudinal members, means to support the floor upon said transverse members, side walls disposed between and secured to said oppositely disposed angle irons, transverse top spacing members, and liftin straps secured between the longitudinal an top members.

4. In a merchandise container in combination, longitudinally extending Irame members, transverse weight supporting members secured to the bottom of said frame members in spaced relation and forming a unitary weight supporting base, an inverted U-shaped housing member disposed between and d1- lrectly supporting adjacent pairs of said transverse members and secured to said October A.,D.-1925.

ABNER r. oALLIsoN lll 

